### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **migrâphâh**, represented by `{{H4053}}`, means **clod**. It appears only **1 time** in **1 unique verse** in the Bible. Derived from a root meaning "to throw off," it refers to a clod of earth, likely one that has been turned over by a spade or other farming tool.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
The single use of `{{H4053}}` occurs in a vivid description of agricultural disaster. In [[Joel 1:17]], the prophet details a scene of widespread famine where "the seed is rotten under their **clods**." This imagery conveys a profound sense of failure at the most fundamental level of farming. The very soil that should nurture life is instead covering dead and useless seeds, contributing to a scene where storehouses are empty and the harvest has completely failed.
### Related Words & Concepts
The context of `{{H4053}}` in [[Joel 1:17]] is enriched by several related words describing the comprehensive nature of the catastrophe:
* `{{H5685}}` **ʻâbash** (to dry up; be rotten): This word specifies the condition of the seed beneath the clods, indicating that the potential for life has decayed [[Joel 1:17]].
* `{{H8074}}` **shâmêm** (to devastate or stupefy): This describes the state of the garners, or storehouses, emphasizing their emptiness and the astonishment brought on by the disaster. It points to a desolation that is both physical and emotional [[Joel 1:17]].
* `{{H2040}}` **hâraç** (to pull down or in pieces, break, destroy): This is used to describe the barns, showing that the very infrastructure meant to hold a harvest is now ruined, underscoring the totality of the loss [[Joel 1:17]].
* `{{H3001}}` **yâbêsh** (to dry up or wither): This term captures the final outcome for the crops, as the corn is "withered." It is often used to describe the effects of drought or divine judgment [[Joel 1:17]].
### Theological Significance
Though a simple word, the theological weight of `{{H4053}}` is found in its powerful and singular context.
* **Symbol of Curse and Barrenness:** The clods of earth, which should be a source of life and fertility, become a tomb for rotten seeds. This image powerfully symbolizes a land under a curse, where the natural order of sowing and reaping has been broken.
* **Foundation of Ruin:** Its placement in the verse highlights a foundational failure. The problem begins in the soil itself, under the **clods**, and extends outward to the empty garners `{{H214}}` and broken-down barns `{{H4460}}`, illustrating a complete collapse of the agricultural system that sustains life.
* **Tangible Sign of Judgment:** The failure of the **clods** to nurture the seed serves as a tangible, earthly sign of a deeper spiritual crisis. The scene in Joel is a call to repentance, using the barren ground as a mirror for the spiritual state of the people.
### Summary
In summary, `{{H4053}}` is a rare biblical term whose significance is entirely defined by its context. As a **clod** of earth, it is a humble object, but in its sole appearance, it plays a key role in one of scripture's most potent depictions of agricultural devastation. It demonstrates how a single, concrete detail can convey a profound theological message about judgment, barrenness, and the consequences of turning away from God.
TRV